Sump pump pumps fine but won't kick on when water in hole. I've installed new float switch to no avail.

I imagine you asked the plumber why the pump is running continuously and he replied as you said but what he simply meant was, because water is in the sump. I'll address pump switch failure later.

So the question should be why is water continually entering the sump. It could be because the water table level is high but its been my experience a sump pump runs nonstop because water expelled by the pump is flowing directly back into the sump.

Have you asked neighbors if their pumps run nonstop? Do you have continuous standing water around your home?

If you don't have standing water around your home and your neighbors dont have the problem with their sump pumps running nonstop then the most likely cause is the pump outlet is flowing back into the sump. In other words, its continuously recirculating the same water.

Here's how I"ve diagnosed this issue in the past. Install a temporary 1 1/2 inch pvc line to discharge the pump outlet on the ground a minimum 20 feet from the house foundation on ground with a downward slope. This gets the pump outlet far enough away from the house that water should not re-enter the house sump. If your pump then cycles normally, you know the problem is because water from the pump outlet is reentering the sump. Then it's a matter of determining why the original pump outlet is flowing back into the sump.

As for pump failures... most sump pumps are not designed for continous duty and the switches are of marginal quality. I alleviated the switch issue by zip tying the switch float of the pump up so it is always on and installed a seperate sump float switch that will last longer than the original.

I am presuming you're asking about a basement sump pump, the kind that keeps your basement dry. Well, those things are not meant to run all the time. They are usually triggered by a float valve. That is a device that moves according to the water level in the sump (in other words, the hole). When the water gets high enough, the float activates a switch, the pump kicks in, the water is flushed away, the float falls and that turns the pump off until the cycle starts all over again. The frequency of the cycle depends on how fast the sump fills itself. I have one that kicks in five times a minute. Another might have a much longer off time. But don't be worrying about yours not being on all the time... that is how they are supposed to behave. Of course, if you have water flowing out the top of the sump, that is a sign things are not right with the pump. Then you really need help.

Hi Ron...
Check your float switch....sometimes they can get stuck to cause this problem of not shutting down after draining the orginal water.
Take the float switch and move it up and down...this may help to clear the stuck switch inside of the float
Bud

If I undrestand your description, when the resevoir is empty, the float lays on the bottom of the resevoir but, the pump doesn't shut off, after water is pumped out? You have to look at this as opposite of a toilet tank filling with water. In a toilet, the water rises and the foat turn the water flow off. In a sump the water will rise, and the float will turnthe pump on until the resevoir is empty, then it will open the system and turn off the pump. If the float doesn't rise, the resevoir will overflow and the pump won't come on at all. If the float rises and the pump comes on but, the float does "not" drop, the pump will continue to run after the resevoir is empty.
http://www.zoellerpumps.com/ProductByCategory.aspx?CategoryID=3
This is Zoellers link. I don't see your pump but they do have a support link. If the float rises and falls with the height of the water, turns pump on, then drops "all the way" and pump doesn't turn off, the switch is bad not the float. Make sure there is nothing in the way of the float dropping to it's full down position.

Hi,
The float that turns the pump on and off is bad or stuck...
Pull the pump out and check the float... if it shuts off the find out what was holding it up...if it still runs the float is bad and will need to be replaced...

heatman101

Shorten. By shortening the cord, the float will trip the switch at a lower maximum depth of water. The pump will run more often as a result, but the maximum water depth will be lower.

Ugh. Me too! I keeps setting off my back up pump with alarm. Driving me crazy!

Hello, the pump motor is controlled by the float switch. If your motor is running constantly even when you move the float switch around, then I would say that either the switch is shorted internally, or the wires going to the switch are shorted, thusly causing the motor to run. Is the float on a separate adapter to the pump, or is it wired into the pump?
joe

That's the idea; if you lift the float the water starts pumping because it works off of that float. That type of pump is usually meant for water that is in a tub or bucket, so that when the water reaches a certain height and causes the float to rise allowing the pump to kick on. I use a pump like that to pump our the drained water from my washing machine in my basement, i let the water go into a big 50 gallon drum and then once the drum is half full i have it set so the float rises and pumps out the water. That being said, if you are putting this in your basement at floor level, you would need to get a 10 gallon bucket meant for sump pumps (you can get one at your local home store) and rent a jackhammer if your basement is concrete and put the bucket in the floor and the sump pump in the bucket, this is called a sump pit. Another option is to get whats often called a "floor ******" pump. Its a pump that sucks the water out when it reaches around a half inch of depth and it can be used in several feet of water (I've used these as well, there is no float involved), and it can be set on level ground there is no sump pit needed. The one thing with my pump you may not want, is that it's constantly running because its constantly monitoring for water so that a lot of water will not build up (especially if water can damage some thing in the surrounding area) . You can check out all the types at your local home store.

The switch has failed. Replace it with a new mercury type rated to handle the pump.